Carpet rack or the like



June 24, 1952 c. c. RIEMENSCHNEIDER 2,601,560

CARPET RACK OR THE? LIKE zzgz'cier )7? 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Q3 (Yauai if Q Filed. Oct. 27, 1945 n 1952 c. c. RIEMENSCHNEIDER 2,601,560

CARPET RACK OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 27, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIII/ IN VEN TOR.

Patented June 24, 1952 r U NI TED STATES PAT EN T O F F [C E 2,601,560 :CAR'PET RACK R TEE "LIKE Gland OLRiemenschneider, Western Springs,- I'll. Application octet-er 27, 1945, Serial No. 625,043

Claims. 1

My invention relates to rack equipment for storing rolls of material, such as carpet ngm an orderly manmmctnat each i'oll'i's individually accessible for cutting-oil lengths of material therefrom. y

In storing rolls of riiateri'al such as carpeting, especially in cases where lengths of the material are to be cut from time to tithe from selected rolls, it is desirable that the rolls be stored as closely and compactly as possible seas to economize space and yet each roll must be readily available individually so that the material may be unrolled therefrom and laid out flat for inspection and cutting'oii any desired length.

The facilities for sucnstcrmg' and-'ready'availability of individual rolls must be simple, inex pensive, adaptable to rolls or difiei-erit sizes and capable of convenient installation. without any substantial rnodiificatit m in any available space and without anyinaterial alteration of thebuilding structure in whioh installed.

This is accomplished, in accordance with thy present invention, by supporting the rolls in closely adjoining superposed relation on pair'sof hangers which are in arranged in close adjoining series throughout 'thelen'gth of the storage space so that the'iollsaie arranged-quitecompactly in side by side rlationthrougliout the length of the storage-space anc'iikwisequite compactly one above another'ircni the floor sub stantially to the ceiling, each pair or -hangers being suspended'f-rom an (iv head tra'ck'so that any selected superposed gi'o of rolls may be withdrawn endwis'e fromthe storagespace to an open area where the peti'ng or other material on any oneof the 7 used rolls may be 1111 rolled and laid out flat =for inspection and cut ting oif alength thereof;

The hangers are all alike and or simple and inexpensive construction and (5apable of adjust ment not only acoording to the length of rolls to be supported'thei'eon but als'd'according to the diameter of the rolls sothatthe number of rolls accommodated on each pan c: hangrsmayvary with the size of the rolls, ana -the tracks "from which the hangers are an "iided are of stand ard-stock material, 'suoli'a's a suitable size r team for the load, and these r-beams are either so ported from the floor on posts or suspended from the ceiling, or-bo'th.

Thus the equipment is readily adaptable to whatever space is to'beutiiiz'ed'fof the purpose and may be installed in a d rem v'ed' frofiia building without ahy'iiiatef ti building structure of any carriage-thereto.

The principal objects 'o-f'iny invention are to provide convenient and inexpensive equipment for compactly storing rolls of material, such as carpeting, and permitting any selected roll to be readily withdrawn for 'u'n-rolling and cutting off a length therefrom; to construct the equipment so that it is'rad-ily adaptable to any desired storage space and wanoutrquirmg any special constructioh or material alteration of the building in which it is installed; to utilize standard stock materials as the inai'n components of the ins'tallation and interchangeable parts so as to simplify and minimize the cost of the installation; to provide convenient a'djustability to accommodate rolls of different length and diametei; and general to simplify and facilitate the storage and handling of large heayy'rolls of material such as' carpeting and the like and utilize the available storage space more efiiciently, these and other objeots being accomplished as pointed out more particularly hereinafter and as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a t'ypioal side view of a pair of hangers with carpetrolIsi'nQunted thereon and showing a fragmentary 'poiti'on of the beam from which the hangers are suspended;

.Fig. 2 is an end view of the structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the pipe supporting braoketsof the hangers together with fragmentary portionsof associated parts;

Fig. 4isa side viewof one of the anti-friction roller pins of the pipe supporting bracket;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through one of the hangersand includes a section through an attached pipe supporting bracket and a section throughthe trolley by which the hanger is suspended from the I-beam';

Fig. Gis'a diagrammatic plan view of a typical installation with storage space at opposite sides of ac'uttingeiisle; and

Fig. 7 is va'perspective view of a modified form of pipe supporting bracket which ma be employed.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. B'tIiereoL-Which illustrates diagrammatically an installation constructed in accordance with my invention,- the-reference numeral 1| indicates the marginal outline oi the floor area l2 which is occupied by the installation, the latter being arranged te-afiord a central aisle 13 (between the dott'e'd lines I 1) along each side of which is a storage space [5 for rolls of carpeting I5, I! are" mounted on end hangers l9 (see Figs; 1-,- 2,- 3 and 5*) each pair of which said hangers accommodates thereon a number of rolls of carpeting superposed one above another.

These hangers I9 have a trolley suspension from rails 20 which extend across the space I2 from side to side so that any pair of hangers I9 with its supported group of rolls I5, I1 or I8 may be moved from the storage space I out into the aisle I3 for unrolling from a selected roll onto the floor of the aisle a length of carpeting to be cut from the roll. Carpeting comes in difierent widths and the rolls of carpeting, accordingly, are of different lengths, as indicated respectively at I6, I1 and I8 and the aisle I3 is, of course, of a width greater than the length of the longest rolls IE to be stored in the storage spaces I5 so as to accommodate the longest rolls in the aisle so that the carpeting may be unrolled therefrom and laid outstretched along the aisle floor as indicated at Ilia. A group of superposed short rolls I8 is also shown out in the aisle with a length of the carpeting of one of the rolls laid outstretched on the floor at I8a.

The rails 20 are arranged in parallel relation and, except where other spacing is necessary to provide clearance for posts or the like, as for example, posts such as indicated at 2I, the rails 20 are spaced apart only the necessary distance so that the largest diameter rolls that will be suspended therefrom will clear the largest diameter rolls that will be suspended from the next adjoining rails, this spacing insuring a compact arrangement of rolls throughout the length of the storage space I5.

These rails 20, which are preferably I-beams, are mounted in any convenient manner at'whatever elevation permitted in the occupied space or at such elevation as will accommodate therebelow the desired number of superposed rolls on each pair of hangers I9, the manner of mounting the rails depending upon the type of mounting most appropriate for thetype of construction of the building in which the storage space is located. In some cases, these rails may be supported entirely from the floor by posts 22 at their outer ends (see Fig. 1) arranged at suitable intervals throughout the length of the storage space I5 and carrying on their upper ends an I-beam 23 upon which the outer ends of the I-beam rails 20 are secured and similar but longer post 24 may be provided along the inner side of each storage space (along the opposite side of the aisle I3) and bearing on their upper ends longitudinal I-beams 25 which extend over the I-beam rails 20 and have the top flange of the latter secured thereto by bolts 28 as indicated in Fig. 1 or in other convenient manner, it being understood, of course, that the posts 24, like the posts '2I of Fig. 6 would be interposed between a pair of rails 20 which are spaced apart so that the rolls of carpeting suspended from these rails would clear the posts in their movement from the storage space I5 into the aisle I3.

In the event posts 2| are already provided in the storage space as a part of the building construction, the overhead beam 25 may be secured at the proper elevation to these posts. In some cases posts at the inner side of the storage spaces I5 may be omitted, and even the posts 22 at the outer ends of the rails 20, and the rails supported entirely or partly by means of overhead hangers if the ceiling above or the building structure is of a nature to permit such suspension, it being understood that the manner of supporting the rails 20 as shown and explained herein is merely 4 illustrative and that the particular manner of mounting these rails in any given case depends upon the particular structural characteristics of the building and space in which the installation is made.

It is preferred, however, to utilize a mounting which requires no alteration or change in the building structure itself and which permits the entire installation to be readily removed without damage to the building in the event the carpet storing business is moved to another location.

For supporting the rolls of carpeting on the rails 20, hangers I9 are provided which are preferably suitable lengths of angle iron 21 suspended from a trolley which rolls along the lower flange of the respective I-beam rail 20, brackets being provided along the length of each angle iron to rotatively support pipes upon which the carpeting is rolled, and said brackets being preferably adjustable for varying the spacing thereof on the angle irons 21 to provide whatever spacing is required for the diameter of the rolls thereon.

To this end, one flange of each angle iron 21 is provided with a series of closely adjoining slotted openings 28 therealong and roll supporting brackets are employed which detachably engage with these openings. These brackets, a preferred form of which is illustrated at 29 in Figs. 1 to 5, have a back plate portion 30 to fit against the slotted flange of the angle iron 21 and two lugs 3| and 32 project from this back plate in suitable spaced relation to engage respectively in any of two adjoining slots 28. of the angle iron 21, the upper lug 3| having a depending part 33 which, when the lugs 3| and 32 are inserted in slots 28 and the bracket slid downwardly until the lugs engage the lower ends of the respective slots 28, will engage behind the portion of the flange between the engaged slots 28' in a hook-like manner and thereby lock the bracket 29 onto the angle iron 21. Thus, the brackets may be readily removed and located at any adjoiningpair of openings 28 throughout the length of the angle iron 21. a

A pair of laterally spaced wings 34 extend forwardly from each bracket back wall 30 and are correspondingly apertured as at 35 to loosely receive a pipe 36 upon which the carpeting is to be rolled and stored, said wings being connected to one another above the apertures 35 by an integral cross brace 31.

A pair of hangers I9 are employed for each group of superposed rolls I6, I1 or I8, the han ers of each pair being suspended from the same rail 20 and a pair of brackets 29 and a pipe 36 being provided on each pair of hangers for each roll I6, I1 or I8 supported thereon, the hangers 29 of each pair being adjusted to the same elevation on the respective hanger I9 and having the opposite ends of the pipe 36 inserted through the apertures 35 thereof all as shown in Fig. 1. Because of the movability of each hanger I9 independently along the respective rail 20 the ends of the pipes 35 are readily insertible in the apertures of their supporting brackets 29, and it will also be understood that on the same account the hangers I9 of each pair may be adjusted relatively to accommodate pipes 35 of any desired length therebetween.

Each pipe 36 is provided at suitably spaced intervals throughout its length with threaded openings to receive cap screws 38 by which clamping plates 39 are secured to the respective pipe, these clamping plates 39 being employed to secure the end of the carpeting 40 to the pipe 36 for rolling thereon, and it will be understood .that the cap screws 38 are preferably flat head or oval head and the clamping plates 39 countersunk to receive the cap screw heads and avoid projecting parts that mightpunch into the carpeting rolled on the pipe.

.A crank 63 is providedfor detachable connection optionally to the ends of any of the pipes 36 to rotate same for winding the carpeting on the pipes and unwiding same therefrom, which said crank may be attached to thepipe end by a wing screw 64 preferably engaged in an opening 53 (see Fig. 3) of the pipe end, and in addition a chain wheel 4| may also be provided, likewise detachably connectible to the pipe ends, for more convenient rotation of these pipes at an elevation above that convenient for crank operation.

Because the load on these pipes is usually quite heavy, anti-friction facilities are desirable for ease of rotation of the pipes 36. Accordingly, the brackets 29 are provided with laterally spaced roller bearings 42 at the bottom of the openings 35 to carry the load of the pipes 36, these roller bearings comprising tubular sleeves 43-(see Fig. 5) interposed between the bracket wings 34 and carried on pins 44 (see Fig. 4) the ends of which are reduced as at 45 and engaged in suitable seats 46 in the respective wings 34 so that the periphery of the sleeve 43 extends inside the circle of the openings 35 sufliciently so that the pipe 36 rests thereon.

Moreover, it is desirable to provide facilities to impose a braking action on the pipes 36 to prevent accidental unrolling of the carpeting Wound thereon and to control the unwinding, especially from the high rolls when a considerable weight of carpeting oftentimes hangs from the roll to the floor, and accordingly, each bracket 29 has a wing screw 41 threaded through the cross brace 31 thereof so as to bear against the top'of the pipe 36. This wing screw thus provides a simple and convenient means whereby the pipe may be secured against unrolling when the carpeting is fully wound thereon and may also be regulated to control unrolling under the weight of the length of carpeting from the roll to the floor, and it may also be entirely released so as to impose no resistance to the winding of the carpeting on the pipe.

A simpler form of bracket is shown in Fig. 7 which may be suitable in some cases for use instead of the bracket shown in Fig. 3 and which has a back plate 48 and lugs 49 and 50 corresponding to the back plate 36, and lugs 3| and 32 respectively of the brackets 29 'hereinbefore described. This bracket of Fig. 1 which is indicated as a whole by the reference numeral 5| merely is provided with an open topped seat 52 for the pipes 36, and the pipe ends are merely laid therein instead of being inserted endwise as in the case of the brackets 29. With this bracket 5|, it is preferable to provide a washer on the pipe at each side of the bracket.

Each pipe 36 is preferablyprovided close to each end with diametrically opposed openings '53 in which pins or bolts may be inserted to insure against endwise movement of the pipe ends from the brackets or for attachment of the turning crank thereto. The crank may, for example, have a sort of spanner .wrench attachment to the pipe with a lug that engages in one of the openings 53 so that the crank is quickly and easily applied to and removed from the end of the pipe 36. The chain wheel 4| is preferably attached to the selected ,pipe36 by a set screw or wing screw 54, and, of course, has a chain 55' permanently incorporated therewith for easily turning the Wheel and the pipe 36 to which it is attached, at higher elevations than are conveniently operable by a crank.

For suspending the hangers l9 from the rails 20 a trolley is attached to the upper end of each angle iron 21 and which may be made up of a bottom plate or block 55 interposed'between the lower ends of a pair of bracket arms 56 which are bolted-securely to the bottom block 55 and each of which bracket arms 56 has a track wheel 51 pivotally mounted at the upper end of and at the inner sideof the bracket arm and flanged at theouter side to engage and travel respectively on the opposite sides of the lower flange of the I-beam rail 20, all as shown particularly in Fig. 5.

For attaching the angle iron 21 of the hanger to this trolley an angle bracket 58, which may be a short length of angle iron, is welded or otherwise secured to the slotted flange of the angle iron 21 as at 59 so that the top oITset part 60 thereof projects outwardly over the pipe supporting brackets 29, and this part is apertured to receive a bolt 6| which extends down centrally through the trolley block and through the part 60 for securing the hanger 21 to the trolley. Thus, the trolley is located substantially over the center of gravity of the load on the hangers so that the latter hang substantially vertically, and the hangers may be adjustedabout the pivotal aXis of the bolt 6| so that the openings 35 in the brackets 29 of the one hanger line up with the corresponding openings of the brackets of the other hanger to receive the ends of the pipes 35 without binding.

In using this equipment, the carpeting or other material to be stored is, of course, Wound in rolls on the pipes 36 out in the cutting aisle l3. Accordingly, a pair of hangers l9 are rolled out on their supporting rail 26 from the storage space to properly spaced positions in the aisle |3 and, being provided with pipes 36 of suitable length for the material to be wound thereon, the end of the material to be wound thereon is secured to the pipe 36 by engaging the clamping plates 39over the end edge of the material and tightening the screws 38. Ordinarily, the material comes in rolls and a spindle is inserted through the center of the roll and the spindle ends supported on dollies so that the material may be readily unwound from its original roll onto the pipe 36.

' The braking screws 41 having been released from the particular pipe36 on which the material is to be wound for storage, a crank or a chain wheel 4| is attached to the end of the pipe 33, and the latter turned until the roll of material to be stored is completely Wound thereon. Then the braking screws 41 are turned down against the pipe to keep the rolled material from accidentally rolling.

Succeeding other rolls of material are wound on the other pipes 36 of this pair of hangers l9 in like manner, the brackets 29 being adjusted along the hanger angle irons 21 according to the diameter of the rolls to be wound on the pipes 36, and accordingly, with small rolls, a larger number of rolls will be carried by a pair of hangers than in the case of larger rolls. Thus, the rolls may be closely or compactly superposed irrespective of size.

After the pair of hangers l9 have been loaded aeoipeo with rolls, the loaded hangers are pushed back from the aisle into the storage space and other pairs of hangers likewise loaded in the aisle 13 until the storage space is filled with rolled material on the various pairs of hangers.

It is preferred to provide means to limit the retraction of the loaded hangers into the storage spaces I so that the outer ends are all approximately at the edge of the aisle, and accordingly, each rail 20 has a stop 62 (see Fig. 1) attached to the side thereof in position to obstruct one of the wheels 51 of the outermost trolley at the proper place so that all of the rolls l6, l1 and I8 are lined up quite uniformly along the sides of the aisle I3. Obviously, the stops 62 for the shorter rolls l1 and 18 will be located farther cutting off from the particular selected roll, the

unrolling being accomplished by backing up the braking screws 41 and merely pulling outwardly on the free end of the material of the roll, it

being understood that the braking screws 41 may be regulated to control the unwinding so as not to over run the length desired to be fed therefrom and to stop the unrolling when the desired length has been unwound.

While I have shown for the purpose of illustration a storage installation having storage space at both sides of a center aisle I3, it is to be understood that in some cases, because of limitations of available space as for other reasons the storage space 15. at one side of the aisle may be omitted or the storage space at one side may be narrower than that at the other side and long rolls stored on one side and short rolls on the other, and that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spiritof my invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In equipment of the class described for storing and handling cylindrical rolls of material, the combination of an overhead track, a pair of uprights each independently suspended endwise from the track through wheeled engagement at its upper end with the track and freely and independently movable therealong, and a plurality of roll supporting spindles extending between and rotatably mounted in vertically spaced relation on the uprights, said uprights being held at corresponding intervals respectively therealong in spaced apart conjointly movable relation by said spindles.

2. In equipment of the class described for storing and handling cylindrical rolls of material, the combination of an overhead track, a pair of uprights each independently suspended endwise from the track through wheeled engagement at its upper end with the track and freely and independently movable therealong, and a vertical series of roll supporting spindles extending between and rotatably mounted on the uprights, said uprights being held at corresponding intervals respectively therealong in spaced apart conjointly movable relation by said spindles and the spacing of the uprights being variable by axial adjustment of the spindles on the uprights.

, 3. In equipment of the class described for storing and handling cylindrical rolls of material, the combination of an overhead track, apair of uprights each independently suspended endwise from the track through wheeled engagement at its upper end with the track and freely and independently movable therealong, a corresponding vertical series of bearing brackets on each upright each of which said bearing brackets is individually adjustable vertically on its upright, and a vertical series of roll supporting spindles extendin between the uprights and rotatably mounted in the bearing brackets thereof, said uprights being held at corresponding intervals respectively therealong in spaced apart conjointly movable relation by said spindles and the spacing of the uprights being variable by axial adjustment of the spindles in the bearing brackets.

4. In equipment of the class described for storing and handling cylindrical rolls of material, the combination of an overhead track, a pair of uprights each independently suspended endwise from the track through wheeled engagement at its upper end with the track and freely and independently movable therealong, and each upright having a vertical series of spaced openings, a vertical series of bearing brackets on each upright each of which has a quick detachable hook engagement with said openings of the upright for attachment thereto at optional elevations, a vertical series of roll supporting spindles extending between the uprights and rotatably mounted in the bearing brackets thereof, said uprights being held at corresponding intervals respectively therealong in spaced apart conjointly movable relation by said spindles and the spacing of the uprights being variable by axial adjustment of the spindles in the bearing brackets.

5. In equipment of the class described for storing and handling cylindrical rolls of material, the combination of an overhead track, a pair of uprights eachindependently suspended endwise from the track through wheeled engagement at its upper end with the track and freely and independently movable therealong, and a vertical series of roll supporting spindles extending between and rotatably mounted on the uprights, said uprights being held in spaced apart conjointly movable relation by said spindles and the spacing of the uprights being variable by axial adjustment of the spindles on the uprights, and means attachable to the end of each spindle whereby each spindle is independently rotatable to wind and unwind the roll material thereon.

CLAUD C. RIEMENSCHNEIDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 314,500 Wiles Mar. 24, 1885 689,951 Clare Dec. 31, 1901 845,658 Loewenberg Feb. 26, 1907 1,073,519 Raabe Sept. 16, 1913 1,086,181 Isaacs Feb. 3, 1914 1,242,149 Crane Oct. 9, 1917 1,522,923 Smith et a1 Jan. 13, 1925 2,031,718 Kress Feb. 25, 1936 

